The European Union’s Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) has determined that delays in Honduras’ vote count are the result of an “intentional paralysis,” as the country remains without official results three weeks after the November 30 elections.
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In a statement, the EU mission expressed concern over the prolonged process and urged “the parties to refrain from obstructing the proclamation of the results.” Partial tallies show conservative candidate Nasry Asfura, backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, leading narrowly ahead of liberal contender Salvador Nasralla.
The EU EOM noted that while the vote count itself has been carried out with “transparency,” the validation of tally sheets has been “compromised by a continuous and intentional paralysis,” producing “serious delays,” according to the statement issued on Saturday.
Comunicado de prensa de la #MoeueHN25
Para descargar en PDF este documento en español:https://t.co/XaCxsLRJ4F
Y en inglés:https://t.co/ICWDtpCLLd pic.twitter.com/hfksEGim7s
— Misión de Observación Electoral UE – Honduras 2025 (@moeueHonduras25) December 20, 2025
The process has entered a decisive stage with a special review of tally sheets, amid political tensions and mutual accusations. This review has been suspended several times and was entrusted to a private company that cited technical problems, further fueling suspicions of electoral fraud.
During the count, Nasralla at one point moved into the lead and accused authorities of a “theft” of the election, calling for a new “vote-by-vote” recount. Outgoing left-wing President Xiomara Castro has made similar claims. Her party’s candidate, Rixi Moncada, currently in third place, has denounced a “falsification” of the results and alleged “interference” by U.S. President Donald Trump in the electoral process.
Trump’s role has drawn particular attention after he conditioned U.S. aid to Honduras in November on an Asfura victory, coupled with a promise to pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, convicted in the United States on drug trafficking charges, a pardon Trump has already granted.
On Friday, the U.S. administration again intervened by revoking the visa of electoral judge Mario Morazán and denying a visa to Marlon Ochoa, another member of the National Electoral Council (CNE) who had denounced what he described as “fraudulent” elections.
Since Thursday, party representatives have been reviewing around 2,800 tally sheets flagged for “inconsistencies,” representing approximately 500,000 votes, while the gap between the two leading candidates stands at about 40,000 votes.
“Now that the special recount is under way, it is essential that the elections be conducted without interruptions and without intentionally invalidating tally sheets in order to alter the results of the presidential elections,” the EU mission said.
Under the current electoral calendar, the CNE has until December 30 to announce the name of Honduras’ next president.
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At least ten people were killed and another ten were injured in a late-night shooting at a township west of Johannesburg, South African police said, according to local media reports.
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The attack took place on Saturday night at a tavern in Bekkersdal, a municipality located west of the city. Preliminary police information indicates that a group of unidentified armed men opened fire indiscriminately on customers inside the venue as well as on people who were outside in the surrounding area.
Emergency services transported the wounded to nearby hospitals, where they are receiving medical treatment. Authorities have not provided additional details on their condition.
At least nine individuals were killed and ten others injured in a shooting at a tavern in South Africa, located in a township near Johannesburg. Police report that a manhunt is currently in progress.
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Police stated that the motive behind the shooting remains unknown and that investigations are ongoing. No suspects have been identified or arrested so far.
Bekkersdal was established in 1945 as a settlement for workers employed in the gold mining operations in this part of South Africa.
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Satellite imagery analysis indicates that Israel has reinforced a permanent military presence across the Gaza Strip through new construction, infrastructure expansion and the demolition of Palestinian property, despite the ceasefire in force since October.
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Research conducted by the investigative group Forensic Architecture identified at least 13 new Israeli military outposts built inside Gaza between October 10 and December 2, while 48 previously existing positions were consolidated and expanded. The findings suggest preparations for a long-term deployment rather than temporary military activity.
In #Gaza, the elderly and people with disabilities are exposed to disproportionate risk, due to forced displacement and the collapse of the healthcare system.
Crucial supplies like adult diapers are critically depleted, severely compromising hygiene and dignity. Chronic… pic.twitter.com/dJeXm41Jxk
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) December 21, 2025
According to the analysis, the newly built structures are concentrated along the so-called “yellow line,” east of Khan Younis and near the Israeli border. The reshaping of the terrain in these areas points to sustained control of the territory, with military installations embedded into the landscape.
Israel now controls more than 50 percent of the Gaza Strip and has expanded this control through coordinated construction and demolition in occupied areas. These zones have been interconnected by newly built roads, facilitating logistical movement between military sites and reinforcing what researchers describe as an integrated network of illegal settlements established as part of the occupation.
The investigation also documents the construction of a new road in Khan Younis that reroutes Israel’s Magen Oz military corridor so that it runs entirely within Israeli-controlled territory. Military expansion has been accompanied by the systematic destruction of Palestinian buildings. Structures that were not destroyed during earlier attacks were demolished after the ceasefire came into effect, clearing land for new outposts and military roads.
The peace plan proposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump stipulated that Israel would neither occupy nor annex Gaza and that withdrawal would occur gradually toward an initial “yellow line.” However, since the ceasefire began, Israeli forces have occupied additional areas, marking control through at least 27 yellow blocks located west of the originally designated control zone.
Mouin Rabbani, a former United Nations official and senior analyst on Israeli-Palestinian affairs, said the findings reflect a historical pattern in which the Israeli regime creates irreversible facts on the ground.
Overall, the data reveal a scenario in which the Trump peace proposal has been used to consolidate Israeli control while no tangible progress has been made toward a gradual withdrawal. During this period, Israeli forces have continued attacks on Palestinian territory, actions that have displaced thousands of Palestinian refugees who were forced to leave their areas following Israeli violations of the ceasefire.
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